In response to the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is dispatching a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and has mobilized its partners, the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team and the Los Angeles County Search and Rescue Team. Each USAR team will be composed of approximately 72 personnel, search and rescue canines and approximately 75 tons of rescue equipment.

Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development, was launched today to seek innovative prevention and treatment approaches for pregnant women and newborns in rural, low-resource settings. This partnership leverages the collective resources of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and The World Bank.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. The global community has come far since that first anniversary, but progress must still be made. Too many countries continue to face gaps in gender quality, women's empowerment, and the welfare of their women and girls. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is committed to overcoming these gaps.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On March 9th, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Government of Norway, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and The World Bank will announce a new partnership that will seek innovative solutions to reduce maternal and newborn mortality in developing countries.

At approximately 5:00pm and 6:00pm local time, two C-130 military transport planes will be landing in Djerba, Tunisia delivering humanitarian supplies from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Special Assistant to the Administrator for Middle East George Laudato administered the oath of office to Senior Foreign Service Officer Robert Wilson as the new USAID Mission Director to Yemen.

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the Peace Corps, an inspiring agency that has brought peace and friendship to communities around the world. Since its creation, over 200,000 Americans have made the commitment to dedicate part of their lives and work in 139 total countries.

Today, Dr. Robert E. Wuertz was sworn in as the new Mission Director for Macedonia for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The oath was administered by USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah.

Officials from the U.S. Government and the Government of Southern Sudan joined Western Equatoria State authorities and members of the Maridi community to inaugurate the town's first power generation and electricity distribution system. The Maridi community participated during the construction phase of the project by taking part in stakeholder meetings to decide on the type of utility to be built, providing most of the local labor force for construction activities, and utilizing local materials from Maridi.

Mark Lopes, USAID Deputy Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean and Maria Cristina Lazo, Executive Director of the International Cooperation Agency of Chile (AgCI), signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pursue joint development cooperation in third countries.

Zanzibar celebrated the handover of the highly successful Zanzibar Teacher Upgrading by Radio Project (ZTUR) to the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training on February 23rd, 2011 at the National Teacher Resource Center. The handover ceremony was jointly presided by the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Scott and Zanzibar's Minister of Education and Vocational Training Ramadhan Abdulla Shabaan.

In response to the earthquake in New Zealand and upon request from the New Zealand government, the United States is deploying a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART). The Response Team will include the Los Angeles County (California) Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue team (USAR) to assist with the search and rescue efforts.

WASHINGTON, DC - Michael E. Hase, 62, was arrested in Dulles, Virginia yesterday by Federal agents of the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Hase was arrested on an embezzlement charge stemming from his work as a controller for USAID, announced Ike Hendershot, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations.

300 million fewer women than men own and access mobile phones in the developing world, according to a report released in 2010 by GSMA, the world's largest mobile industry association. The report highlights the barriers facing women's adoption of mobile technologies in the developing world.

Today, USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah presented the David E. Barmes Global Health Lecture at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In his comments, Dr. Shah issued a challenge to the development community around a set of transformational goals. He also reaffirmed USAID's commitment to the President's Global Health Initiative.

Over the next three days more than 900 leaders and experts from agriculture and health will gather in New Delhi, India to amplify the important linkage between nutrition and agriculture in poverty reduction. The focus of the International Food Policy Research Institute's (IFPRI) 2020 Conference, "Leveraging Agriculture for Improving Nutrition and Health", reflects the emphasis of the international community's increased efforts to improve undernutrition, which is an essential component of the USG's Feed the Future and Global Health Initiatives.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On February 15th, USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah will deliver the David E. Barmes Global Health Lecture at the National Institutes of Health. This appears to be the first address to NIH staff at-large by a sitting USAID Administrator. In his remarks, Dr. Shah will chart a course forward for President Obama's Global Health Initiative and issue a challenge to the development community around five transformational goals.

BRASÍLIA, Brazil - USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Mark Lopes and Minister Marco Farani of the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation (ABC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a professional staff exchange program between their agencies. Beginning in April, each agency will host a staff member in their offices to share expertise and collaborate on joint programs to facilitate peer-to-peer learning on donor best practices around the world.

WASHINGTON, DC - USAID Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean Mark Feierstein and Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo A. Valenzuela will travel to El Salvador from February 9-11. Feierstein and Valenzuela seek to deepen and enhance El Salvador's bilateral partnership with the United States, through the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development. The delegation will also discuss joint efforts to ensure the safety and security of Salvadoran citizens and will meet with political and private sector leaders.